Shit Just Got Real

[AUChizad]

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/official-doc-winston-mortgage-paid-off-in-2009-29634

Official Doc: Winston Mortgage Paid Off In 2009
Posted by Brooks on Apr. 17, 2011, 9:16am

On April 7, Auburn Rivals website (AuburnSports.com) Publisher Jeffrey Lee reported allegations that suggested NCAA violations may have occurred during the recruitment of University of Alabama football signee Brent Calloway.



Lee’s allegations included:

- Before Calloway’s last trip to Alabama before Signing Day, the “supporter” is alleged to have made cash payments to Harland “Peaches” Winston, Calloway’s adoptive father.

- Winston received $2,500 from the “supporter” on at least one occasion.

- In addition to the aforementioned payment, Winston was also behind on his house mortgage, but made cash payments to catch up and then asked how much it would be to pay off the mortgage.

The “supporter” was later identified by the TUSCALOOSA NEWS as Russellville resident and Alabama football fan Darren Woodruff. Woodruff also owns the Muscle Shoals, Alabama-based company Petrochem.

On April 12, Jonathan Willis of the FRANKLIN (AL) COUNTY TIMES reported comments made by Winston in response to Lee’s allegations:

Winston and Woodruff denied all allegations that anything improper took place during Calloway’s recruitment.

“My mortgage has been paid off for 15 years,” said Winston.

An official Franklin County, Alabama, Probate Office public document may suggest otherwise.



In a statement submitted to Franklin County Probate Judge Barry Moore on Sept. 9, 2009, First Metro Bank of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Executive Vice President Tommy Darby reported:

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS That First Metro Bank, the owner and holder of that certain mortgage executied and delivered by Harlan Lindsey Winston, Linda Graham Winston, as joint debtors, on August 7, 2000, in Book 568 Page 601-605 in the office of Probate Judge of Franklin County, acknowledges payment in full of the indebtedness secured by said mortgage.

Reporter Bryan App of the FLORENCE (AL) TIMES-DAILY reported on October 30, 2008, that Alabama football signee Calloway began living with Winston in 2007. That year Calloway transferred from the Florence High School district to the Russellville High School district in order to further his football career.

From App’s report:

During Calloway’s days at Florence, (then-Russellville High School football player Darrian) Graham befriended Calloway, thanks to a mutual friend in former Russellville all-area basketball player Siran Winston.

Calloway said he started seriously thinking about joining his friend at Russellville after noticing former Golden Tigers running back Michael Abernathy, a nationally top-ranked fullback prospect, receive attention from Division I colleges.

“(Graham) said I should come down here,” Calloway said. “I was just thinking, ‘Well, they’ve got Mike down there, and he’s got colleges coming to see him. Next year, they could be coming to see me, too.’ I just felt like Russellville had a better (college) recruiting program than Florence.”

Calloway has a mother, two brothers and a little sister who still live in Florence. Calloway lives with Winston’s father, Harlon Winston, and he’s made a home for himself at Russellville.

After a stellar 2008 season as a sophomore running back for Russellville, Alabama coach Nick Saban offered Calloway a scholarship in June, 2009 - before Calloway suited up for his junior season.

Franklin County Probate Judge Moore noted Winston’s mortgage payment in full, via First Metro Bank of Muscle Shoals, on Sept. 9, 2009.

Calloway went on to star for Russellville during the 2009 and 2010 football seasons, before signing a letter-of-intent with Crimson Tide two months ago.

On April 9, 2011, Aaron Suttles of the TUSCALOOSA NEWS reported that the University of Alabama’s NCAA rules compliance department had investigated the allegations against Winston and Woodruff and concluded that no NCAA impropriety had taken place.

Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation told TideSports.com on Saturday no violations were uncovered in UA’s inquiry into allegations of payments and other inducements to steer Calloway to sign with Alabama.

UA compliance department officials spent Friday in Franklin County interviewing Calloway, his adopted father Harland “Peaches” Winston, officials at First Metro Bank, Russellville High principal Tim Guinn and Russellville resident Darren Woodruff.

In particular, Woodruff was accused of having paid Winston $2,500 for Calloway to attend Alabama as well as giving Calloway a car.

UA’s investigation found that Woodruff had a preexisting relationship with Winston, a relationship that dates back 20 years. Woodruff said he has known Calloway since he was a freshman at Russellville, a year in which Calloway came into Winston’s care and also sat out of football - long before anyone could predict he would be a highly-recruited Division I athlete.

NCAA rules stipulate that if Woodruff indeed had a “preexisting relationship” with Winston, Woodruff would be allowed to provide Winston any manner of benefits. That could include paying off a Winston mortgage - regardless of Winston’s relationship with Calloway.

So why then did Winston tell the Franklin County Times that his mortgage had been “paid off for 15 years,” when a Franklin County Probate Office document may suggest otherwise?

Some might construe Woodruff possibly providing benefits to Winston, who housed Calloway during his days as a Russellville football star after transferring from the Florence high school district, as an activity that might lead to undue influence over where Calloway decided to attend college.

Especially considering Winston’s mortgage was paid off in full two months after Calloway first verbally committed to play football at Alabama.

[Xanusus]

Apparently, this was the information Jeffrey had that Jay G. Tate alluded to on his blog the other day. I just wished Jeffrey hadn't leaked it to sportsbycrooks. He's a Georgia graduate who runs a tabloid site and has no interest in being objective. Just in March he ran articles on Florida, GaTech, Auburn, and even TN but yet he failed to cover the 5 recruiting violations by Georgia. He's got an agenda and it's to smear programs not named Georgia.

[AUChizad]

Apparently, this was the information Jeffrey had that Jay G. Tate alluded to on his blog the other day. I just wished Jeffrey hadn't leaked it to sportsbycrooks. He's a Georgia graduate who runs a tabloid site and has no interest in being objective. Just in March he ran articles on Florida, GaTech, Auburn, and even TN but yet he failed to cover the 5 recruiting violations by Georgia. He's got an agenda and it's to smear programs not named Georgia.

True, but bammers and their local media heralders have spent the last 6 months telling us that he is legit. Jeffrey Lee's just a barner with an obvious agenda.

Love that when Sports By Brooks was spouting heresay with no direct quotes, no sources, and no hard evidence, it was the gospel. Now that he is doing all of those things to bodyslam bama, suddenly he's illegite.

Love it.

[Townhallsavoy]

My attention's done been got.

[AUChizad]

Of course, the first response from every bammer is "Well, he has 5 properties, that may not even be his primary residence".

My response to that is "So fucking what?"

So a "supporter" (I'll bite my tongue to not use the term booster, although clearly that's what this guy is) can pay off your mortgage in exchange for your kid to the school he supports, as long as it's just a rental house? 

[Townhallsavoy]

Of course, the first response from every bammer is "Well, he has 5 properties, that may not even be his primary residence".

My response to that is "So fucking what?"

So a "supporter" (I'll bite my tongue to not use the term booster, although clearly that's what this guy is) can pay off your mortgage in exchange for your kid to the school he supports, as long as it's just a rental house? 

NCAA rules stipulate that if Woodruff indeed had a “preexisting relationship” with Winston, Woodruff would be allowed to provide Winston any manner of benefits. That could include paying off a Winston mortgage - regardless of Winston’s relationship with Calloway.

and...

UA’s investigation found that Woodruff had a preexisting relationship with Winston, a relationship that dates back 20 years. Woodruff said he has known Calloway since he was a freshman at Russellville, a year in which Calloway came into Winston’s care and also sat out of football - long before anyone could predict he would be a highly-recruited Division I athlete.

The fish is the stinkiest it can get before it's considered life threatening. 

Unfortunately, we still need one more bit of information to get this going.  It has to be proven that Woodruff is a booster, and there has to be tangible evidence that Calloway or Peaches was rewarded by Woodruff for signing with Alabama. 

When JLee says "supporter," I hope he's being sarcastic.  Or at least baiting. 

[JR4AU]

There is NOW officially more evidence that Bammer bought Brent Calloway, than there is or ever was that Auburn bought Cam Newton. 

[Townhallsavoy]

Another issue that has to come into play at some point is when did Alabama or anyone else believe BC was a college prospect.

Because you can tell who is a bonafide college athlete their freshman year.  And considering Calloway was a star his sophomore year and received a scholarship offer from Bama shortly after, it was apparent he was a gifted athlete well before 2008. 

This is where the story, I think, will start running.  Did Calloway move in with Peaches because Calloway was a future college prospect? 

I wonder what kind of rules that breaks. 

[Townhallsavoy]

One more thing -

BC obviously thought he was a college prospect prior to his sophomore year since his whole reason for moving to Russellville was that he thought it would get more attention from colleges. 

[JR4AU]

Of course, the first response from every bammer is "Well, he has 5 properties, that may not even be his primary residence".

The fact that he and his wife were "joint debtors" on this mortgage tells me it most likely was their primary residence.

[JR4AU]

Another issue that has to come into play at some point is when did Alabama or anyone else believe BC was a college prospect.

Because you can tell who is a bonafide college athlete their freshman year.  And considering Calloway was a star his sophomore year and received a scholarship offer from Bama shortly after, it was apparent he was a gifted athlete well before 2008. 

This is where the story, I think, will start running.  Did Calloway move in with Peaches because Calloway was a future college prospect? 

I wonder what kind of rules that breaks.

That's exactly what brought the NCAA to investigate Michael Orr and the Tews (sp?), Ole Miss Boosters.

[Townhallsavoy]

That's exactly what brought the NCAA to investigate Michael Orr and the Tews (sp?), Ole Miss Boosters.

And nothing came of that.

So Peaches is clear for taking Calloway in. 

But if Woodruff and Peaches were conspiring to get Calloway to Bama and reward Peaches/Calloway financially for doing so, then that's a big no-no. 

Also - They've already lied once.

I wonder if they lied to Alabama investigators. 

[AUChizad]

I wonder if they lied to Alabama investigators.

This is another reason I see bama actually getting into shit for this.

Sources with direct knowledge of the investigation told TideSports.com on Saturday no violations were uncovered in UA’s inquiry into allegations of payments and other inducements to steer Calloway to sign with Alabama.

Obviously, they didn't investigate shit. "Oh you said you paid off your mortgage 15 years ago? That's cool, we'll take your word for it. Obviously, this document could easily be obtained, and once it was, by Brooks, it was clear that he was full of shit. Bama made a mockery of the system with their "investigation".

This is where the story, I think, will start running.  Did Calloway move in with Peaches because Calloway was a future college prospect?

Brooks has already answered this question.

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/guardian-boosts-case-for-bama-ncaa-violations-29623

[Townhallsavoy]

Winston said the decision to send Calloway with Woodruff was obvious. Woodruff had known Calloway for years and began assisting him with his college recruitment as a freshman.

Shit just got real real.

[JR4AU]

And nothing came of that.

So Peaches is clear for taking Calloway in. 

But if Woodruff and Peaches were conspiring to get Calloway to Bama and reward Peaches/Calloway financially for doing so, then that's a big no-no. 

Also - They've already lied once.

I wonder if they lied to Alabama investigators.

I didn't say Peaches was clear.  I merely pointed out the NCAA investigated it.  You do realize the cases could be very different in their timing?  Because Orr was cleared, means nothing at to Peaches and BC.

The bigger issue here is Woodruff, money apparently changing hands, Peaches now seemingly caught in a lie about this mortgage, etc. 

[JR4AU]

This is another reason I see bama actually getting into shit for this.

Obviously, they didn't investigate shit. "Oh you said you paid off your mortgage 15 years ago? That's cool, we'll take your word for it. Obviously, this document could easily be obtained, and once it was, by Brooks, it was clear that he was full of shit. Bama made a mockery of the system with their "investigation".Brooks has already answered this question.

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/guardian-boosts-case-for-bama-ncaa-violations-29623

I hope kharma is a fucking bitch.  If you're going to engage in a fucking months long smear campaign of your rival out of jealousy, you damn well better have your own fucking house in pristine order.  A sham investigation that declares you're all clean that misses information like that aint  too good either.

[Townhallsavoy]

Honestly, speaking of karma or some of that weird New Age shit, I hope Thayer Evans writes the article that puts the nail in the coffin. 

I'm already feeling better about Brooks. 

[JR4AU]

Honestly, speaking of karma or some of that weird New Age shit, I hope Thayer Evans writes the article that puts the nail in the coffin. 

I'm already feeling better about Brooks.

I'm feeling better about J. Lee.  It would seem he actually had a plan behind his teasing and slowly leaking info.  Could there be more?

[Townhallsavoy]

I'm feeling better about J. Lee.  It would seem he actually had a plan behind his teasing and slowly leaking info.  Could there be more?

I have a feeling there is.  This seems to be his baby.  It seems like this latest article by Brooks was forwarded to him.  Not sure why I think that, but it's strange that Brooks in less than a week procured documents JLee would have loved to have.

If JLee is sending bits out to other people, then I bet he has the finished product waiting to be released by himself. 

And it'll probably be on auburn.rivals.com. 

[Xanusus]

I have a feeling there is.  This seems to be his baby.  It seems like this latest article by Brooks was forwarded to him.  Not sure why I think that, but it's strange that Brooks in less than a week procured documents JLee would have loved to have.

If JLee is sending bits out to other people, then I bet he has the finished product waiting to be released by himself. 

And it'll probably be on auburn.rivals.com.

BINGO! You win the prize.